


A little bean

by wertdifferenz



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adopting Cats, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Brief mention of animal cruelty, Fluff, M/M, pining lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 23:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13938144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wertdifferenz/pseuds/wertdifferenz
Summary: Lance finds kitten in a shoebox in an alley. Now he has to find a new home for it.“No.”Yeah, Lance expected that response. That’s why he came to Keith’s place with a lot of determination, an answer for every question that might come, and the kitten itself as back up. Lance is sure that the little bean can melt Keith’s grumpy heart.“I won’t accept a ‘no’. You’re my last option before I have to give her to a shelter. And I really don’t want to do that.” To emphasize his point, he holds the kitten on eyelevel, trying to make Keith look directly at it. But the target averts his gaze.





	A little bean

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, sorry for my long absence. Some of you know that I changed work, had to do 3 weeks of training abroad, start work, change base, and beside that I also have a private life. Didn't help that I had a little writer's block. Thanks to Sakurai-ai for cheering me up and motivating me to continue.
> 
> Now I'm back, and I present you this little piece of fluff. 
> 
> I hope you like it :)
> 
> Let me know if you'd be interested in a second part.

When Lance woke up this morning, he hadn’t expected a lot from the day. It’s a Thursday after all, the slowest day of the week. Seriously, even Mondays aren’t as boring as Thursdays. So Lance got up, made some food for him and Blue, got to work on time, served roughly a hundred cups of coffee and tea with some cake, finished his shift at 3pm and is currently packing up his stuff to go home.

Coran is in the café, helping the rest of the staff prepare drinks for a group of college students that just came in. Lance takes his bag and leaves through the staff entrance. The alley he comes out is full of empty dumpsters. It’s not the prettiest sight, but Lance prefers the faint smell over the huge masses in the café. As soon as his shifts end he suddenly can’t stand crowded places anymore. 

He starts walking towards the street when he spots a shoe carton on the ground. The garbage men sometimes forget a few bags or don’t pick up loose trash from the ground. Lance usually pays no mind to the waste on the floor, but this box is suspicious. It isn’t the fact that that carton clearly doesn’t belong in an alley where only a café and a flower shop stow they trash, neither that the lid of the box is sealed tightly with duct tape. 

The box is moving.

Lance stops and observes the strange movement. As he cautiously comes closer, he can make out some sounds.

Is that…?

He kneels down in front of the box.

…it is!

He knows that sound. He gets to hear that sound every day, when Blue wants him to wake up sooner, or when she’s hungry, or simply wants some attention. 

Lance quickly grabs the pocket knife he keeps in his bag. A courtesy from Keith he had never really appreciated until now. He carefully, carefully cuts the duct tape around the box. The meowing stops as soon as he starts cutting, and as Lance finally lifts the lid, he can see why.

Two big yellow eyes stare back at him. The small kitten presses itself to the corner of the box; its whole body is stiff and shaking. Lance knows that he has to move carefully, but as soon as he lets out the breath he was holding, the cat jumps out of the box like a flash. Lance can barely catch it before it can run off, onto the streets and under a car or something. 

He holds the cat by its neck. It’s clearly uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t hurt. Lance lifts it onto his lap, holding the rest of the body with his free arm. 

From up close he can see the complex red pattern of its fur, disrupted by some white stripes here and there. He can also see that the fur is not dirty, and that the kitten is well fed. It’s not a street cat, caught and trapped by some stupid teenagers for fun, but a house cat, abandoned by some cruel bastards.

That’s just another reason for Lance to hold onto the kitty, even though it started digging its claws into his arm. If it didn’t grow up on the streets, the chance of it surviving in the middle of a big city are very slim. 

Sure, cats know how to hunt for themselves, but housecats usually don’t know to stay away from the streets, or other stray animals. Even humans can be dangerous to them.

“Well, they already were dangerous to you, weren’t they, little bean?”

Lance tries to soothe the kitten with a soft voice and light petting. It takes some time, and a lot of talking, but it starts to relax in his arms. It’s still shivering though, so Lance carefully takes the jacket he had crammed in his backpack and wraps the cat with it. 

“Let’s get you to a safe place.” The cat doesn’t stop shivering all the way to Lance’s apartment. 

 

After three years, Blue can probably make out the sound of Lance’s steps between hundreds of people. So, it’s no surprise she’s already waiting for him at the door when he finally gets home. 

The way from work usually takes him about ten minutes, but with a wiggling kitten in his arms it takes a bit more. The moment Lance closes the door behind him, he gives up securing the little bean and places it on the floor.

Blue is not hostile, so Lance doesn’t have to worry about the bigger cat attacking the smaller one. Sure, she will probably put it in its place when the kitten goes too far, but she would never hurt it.

The kitty slowly unwraps itself from the jacket and takes a few careful steps through the hallway. Blue eyes the kitten from the side, but quickly dismisses it as harmless and divides her attention to Lance and the chin scrubs she gets upon his arrival. Their little guest just isn’t as important as those chin scrubs.

Lance leaves them in his hallway and moves to the kitchen to prepare some food for both cats. He places Blue’s bowl on its usual place, a baby blue matt near the kitchen table, and puts a small plate with wet food a few feet away.

Blue trots into the kitchen, making a beeline for her bowl, and slowly but surely the little bean follows. It’s quite brave, already exploring the new place after just arriving. Maybe Blue’s presence calms her.

As Lance watches the cats devour their dinner from his seat at the kitchen table, he tries to think of what to do next. He would love to keep the kitten, but the landlord only allows a single pet in the apartments. And that space is already occupied by Blue. 

The next logical step would be to bring the kitten to a shelter, but Lance hates the idea. His stomach cramps up from the thought of it. 

Sure, shelters are not the worst places for animals, but Lance knows from experience that the ones near his home are awful facilities. Most of them put the animals down if they aren’t adopted after a week, or they keep them in small cages, not having the space or money do care for them the right way. 

Lance really doesn’t want to give the little bean to one of those facilities. 

Both cats have finished eating by now, and idly lick their mouths clean. As usual, Blue makes a beeline for the loveseat after eating, and the kitten quickly follows her. Lance gets up from his seat to watch the cats a bit more. 

Blue has already placed herself on her favorite blanket in one corner of the couch, while the kitten still tries to make itself comfortable on a red pillow. The sight is adorable.

Lance sighs. He has to find a solution.

 

“Sorry, Lance. You know I’d love to adopt it, but I can’t. Shay’s allergic to cats.” Lance can hear Hunk pout over the phone.

“I didn’t know Shay is allergic.”

“Yeah, that’s why we hardly come to your place. Well, it’s more like Shay wants to visit you and Blue all the time, but I have to stop her so she doesn’t sneeze herself to death. Anyway, I’m sorry I can’t take the cat in.”

Lance sighs. “Don’t worry. I understand.”

“Still, good luck, man. I really hope you find someone.”

Lance can’t fight the small smile. Hunks sincerity actually makes him feel a bit better. “Thanks, dude. I hope so too.”

 

“Hey, Coran.” 

“Hello my boy! What can I do for you today? Did you forget something in the café?”

“Oh, no no. I just have to ask you something.” Lance pauses to gather his thoughts. “Do you like cats?”

“Of course I do. My grandmother used to own a whole ship full of cats and always made me watch after them. Sometimes I spend hours playing and brushing those cute little muffins.”

“A ship? – Wait, that’s not important right now. I wanted to ask if you’d like to adopt a cat?” Lance asks hopeful. 

“As much as I’d love to, my work just keeps me so busy. You know that I have to go on business trips at least twice a month. Adopting a cat would be just cruel to that poor thing. But why are you asking my boy?” 

Lance is sure Coran is twirling his moustache right now. “Oh, you see…”

 

As Coran hangs up, Lance sighs another time. It feels like every conversation with this man leaves him with more questions than answers. A ship full of cats? Business trips as a café owner? Sure, Coran isn’t at work all the time, but Lance just assumed that he takes a few days off every now and then. 

Lance puts his phone on the kitchen table and starts making some dinner for himself. Maybe cooking will help him find some answers.

 

Cooking helped him think of something, but the idea was stupid and Lance feels like an idiot for even trying. 

“Pidge!”

“No.” 

Well, at least she has a prompt answer, but Lance can’t give up so easily. “You don’t even know why I’m calling!”

“You want me do adopt the stray cat you’ve found.” She states matter-of-factly. 

“Wha-? How? Don’t tell me you already invented mind reading. You promised it would take you at least ten more years.”

“Pff, you wish.” Pidge sounds awfully smug, even through the phone. “But no, Hunk kindly informed me.”

“Oh, right.” Lance sends a silent thanks to everyone listening. He doesn’t need that gremlin going through his head too soon. Or at all, for that fact. “So, why won’t you adopt the cat? It’s cute.”

“You know exactly that I’m not an animal person. I’m completely happy with Rover.”

The small robot on Pidge’s table beeps at hearing his name. It sounds like a confirmation of his owner’s words. Lance can hear it through the phone and is too stunned and slightly intimidated to continue arguing. It’s not like he could convince her anyway. 

“Alright. I guess I have to keep on asking then.”

Pidge hums, probably already distracted by her newest project again. “Can’t you just ask your parents? I thought they liked cats?”

“They do, but they already have one at home, and it’s super hostile. It doesn’t even like Blue, and who hates Blue?”

Lance can her a small gasp. “No shit, that cat must be a monster. Good luck with your problem.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Pidge.”

 

“But Lance, we already have Black. She can’t stand cats.” Lance curses himself mentally. How could he forget about Shiro’s dog?

“Right, sorry Shiro.”

“Don’t worry about it. I just hope you’ll find a good place.” Shiro pauses. There’s a few moments of silence between them, before he speaks up again. “Have you asked Keith?”

“Wh- Keith? I thought he hated animals.”

Shiro chuckles. “Oh no, he loves them. Especially cats. He’s just too afraid of accidentally hurting them to actually get one.” His chuckle turns to a laugh, and Lance swears he can hear Allura giggle in the background. “But maybe you can convince him.”

A big question mark pops up in Lance’s head. “Why should he listen to me?”

“I don’t know? Just a feeling.” And now Lance is sure he heard Allura snort.

Lance quickly dismisses them. “Right. Anyway, thanks Shiro. I’ll give it a thought.”

 

Keith. 

_Keith._

Lance just can’t wrap his head around it. Does Keith really like animals? Is he capable of caring for a cat? 

Sure, he takes great care of his motorcycle, but that thing doesn’t need food and water and love and affection (even though Keith would probably fight him on the last two points). 

Lance takes another look at the little bean, now completely splayed out on the red pillow. From what he observed today the kitten is pretty brave, walking through a stranger’s home like nothing, and strong, trying to wiggle out of Lance hold all the way from the café to his apartment. 

It probably doesn’t like getting told what to do. It probably carves love and affection from the people it trusts too. Just like a certain someone Lance knows. 

Yeah, okay. Maybe Shiro’s right.

Hopefully he is.

 

“No.”

Yeah, Lance expected that response. That’s why he came to Keith’s place with a lot of determination, an answer for every question that might come, and the kitten itself as back up. Lance is sure that the little bean can melt Keith’s grumpy heart.

“I won’t accept a ‘no’. You’re my last option before I have to give her to a shelter. And I really don’t want to do that.” To emphasize his point, he holds the kitten on eyelevel, trying to make Keith look directly at it. But the target averts his gaze. 

They are sitting on the couch of Keith’s small apartment, the kitten on Lance’s lap. It’s constantly trying to wiggle itself free from his hands, and Lance is on the brink of just letting it roam through the rooms freely. Maybe it will find a nice vent to hide in, so that Lance can’t take it home again.

Keith stubbornly avoids looking at the little bean since Lance took it out of the pet carrier. Instead he stares out of the windows, on his posters on the wall, or directly at Lance. Not that Lance minds the attention, but he’d rather Keith would look at the cat instead. 

“Can’t you just keep her yourself?” He askes quite hesitantly. Lance perks up at the sight of Keith’s walls slowly breaking.

“I’d love to keep her. But the owner of my flat only allows one pet.” He answers honestly. 

“And Hunk?”

“He can’t take it. Shay is allergic.”

“And Pidge?”

“She won’t take it. And before you ask, neither can Coran, Shiro and Allura or my family.” Lance sighs. “Trust me, I asked all of them.”

Keith snorts. “You know Shiro has a dog, right?”

“Yes, Keith. I know that. But I forgot in the heat of the moment.” Lance has difficulties trying to make his voice sound neutral. He needs to stay focused here, and not start a fight. 

“And why don’t you want to take her to the shelter?”

“Shelters are generally not the best for animals. I mean, sure, living in a shelter is better than living in the streets, but still. They are like orphanages. The cats don’t get the attention and love they need in those places.”

“Like orphanages?” Lance realizes that Keith’s gaze has snapped to the kitten the moment he mentioned the word ‘orphanage’. And he knows that playing this game is dirty, but he really doesn’t have a choice. It’s either Keith or the shelter, so Lance plays his joker. 

“Yeah. And the shelters near my home are just cruel. Most of them kill the animals after a week if they don’t get adopted. Cats need a family, especially this one. It doesn’t look like it’s been in an accepting home before I found it.”

“A family…”

Lance finally releases the kitten onto the couch. It stays at the spot and blinks up to Lance before it marches over to Keith. The frown on Keith’s face slowly softens. He doesn’t move a finger so he won’t startle the cat and lets out a gasp as the little bean sniffs his fingers and pushes his whole head in his hand. 

Keith tentatively starts stroking her under the chin, a smile playing on his lips. Lance watches the scene with awe, just a single word popping up in his head over and over again. 

_Adorable._

These two are just too adorable. 

After a while, the kitten moves up to Keith’s lap and stays there. He keeps on petting it until it falls asleep. Keith looks up to Lance, a fondness in his eyes Lance has never seen before. But it quickly fades when worry takes over.

“I have no idea how to take care of a cat.” He whispers. 

Lance puts on his most reassuring smile. He knows he won this game, he just needs to boost Keith’s confidence a bit. “Don’t worry about that. I will teach you.”

“I don’t want to hurt it.” Keith’s eyes are trained on the cat, so he doesn’t see the amused look on Lance’s face. 

“Dude, cats are not made of glass. You won’t hurt it as long as you don’t throw it out of your window.”

His head shoots up. “I would never do that.” Keith relaxes after he sees Lance smile, a faint blush forming on his cheeks. He looks down again, watching the small body of the kitten rise and fall with every deep breath. Still, his head is full of questions. “What if I forget to feed it?”

Lance snorts. “You feed it once when you have breakfast, and once when you eat dinner. And if it’s hungry, it will tell you.”

“Okay, but what if-“

“Keith!” Lance interrupts, “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you everything you need to know and when you’re not sure about something you can always call me. About anything.”

They both stay quiet for a while. “Really anything?” Keith asks sheepishly. 

“Yes, anything.” Lance takes Keith’s hand in his and squeezes it slightly, making it clear that he means it.

“Okay.”

Keith smile turns soft again, but this time it’s not directed at the kitten, but at Lance.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Kudos and comments are highly appreciated.
> 
> And in case you were wondering, here is [ my tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/wertdifferenz).


End file.
